Disc... you know the drill by now, duncha?
His Boy
Chapter Sixteen: Time Outs
"See you later, Hermione! Thanks a lot for coming with us, we had a great time!" Sirius beamed, giving the little girl's hair a ruffle. She was buckled into her car seat in the back of her mother's car once again, a smile on her face at the fun she had had on holiday with her friends.
"Bye, Mr. Black! Bye Harry!"
"Bye bye 'mione!" Harry laughed, waving as the car door closed and Jean got into it.
"Thanks again guys! We'll see you soon! Remember, the nineteenth!" She called as she climbed into the front of the car and started it. They waved as they drove out of the driveway and then down the dirt lane. Harry watched them go from just outside the gate, smiling underneath his conductor's hat.
"Alright, mate." Sirius scooped him up and headed back in, making sure to shut and lock the gate behind him. He carried Harry up the stone path to the front door and pressed open the door, setting the little boy down in the hallway. "Go get yourself washed up for dinner, alright?"
"Otay, Paddy." Harry smiled and started up the stairs, using the hand railing and going one foot at a time to be safe.
Sirius watched him for a moment and then wandered into the kitchen, taking a deep breath at the lovely smell of hamburgers frying in the pan. Remus had got them started, but Sirius took over now, checking them to make sure it was time for flipping and then grabbing up the spatula to do so.
Remus yawned, resting his chin in his hand as he put burger buns on three plates and started topping them each with lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes. "Where's Harry gotten to?"
"I asked him to get washed up for dinner. He went upstairs."
"Oh good." Remus nodded his approval, letting out yet another yawn and putting some apple slices on each plate now. He was always quite tired for a few days after the full moon. Changing took a lot out of him and he needed plenty of rest, but had not been able to get much yet, having been helping Sirius with the children. To be honest, he was looking forward to finishing dinner so he could go to bed and perhaps have a bit of a lie in in the morning.
Sirius finished cooking the burgers and carried the pan over to place each down on it's own bun. He topped them with cheese which melted almost on contact from the heat and then placed each plate at it's rightful seat. He frowned, looking up towards the ceiling. Harry should have finished getting washed up by now.
"Go ahead and eat, Moony. I'll be right back." Remus nodded and Sirius left the kitchen, heading up the stairs.
Harry's bathroom door was closed, making Sirius frown. He knocked on it. "Harry? Are you alright?"
"Yes." Sirius breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's time to come down and eat now, what are you doing in there?"
"Er…. Nuuuuddin'…" A clanking noise sounded from inside the bathroom. Deciding it was better he checked this out, Sirius opened the door.
Harry stood on his little stool in front of the sink, his little eyes wide with shock at the door having opened so quickly. He blinked, looking up at Padfoot and giving him a toothy grin… only this was not the type of toothy grin he usually gave… but rather… Sirius blinked. That was the same smile James had always gotten when they'd pulled a prank and been caught.
"What did you do?" Sirius asked, stepping into the bathroom, almost as once feeling something wet soak up through his sock. He looked down to find the bottle of soap that normally sat on the side of the sink laying on the floor, it's cap gone and leaking into a neon blue puddle into which he had just stepped.
Careful not to slip, Sirius took another step, but got more wetness on his second foot, the floor was covered with water here… in fact… looking at it more closely… the whole bathroom seemed to be coated with a thin layer of water that went until it reached the doorway where the carpet of the hallway was soaking it up.
The sink was overflowing, the faucet on and bubbles spewing out of it. There was toothpaste all over the mirror and on the toilet seat and in the tub. How much could they fit in that one little tube? Toilet paper seemed to be spread out directly under the sink, great wads of it.
"I… I is washing up?" Harry asked, still that same grin on his face, though worry flashed in his eyes as he looked around. He'd been having a right good time until Padfoot had come upstairs…
"Harry, the bathroom is for bathroom things, not for playing in unless it's bathtime." Sirius turned off the faucet and picked Harry up off of his stool. His heart was soaring now. Harry had done something bad! He trusted him! He trusted him! Trying not to smile, Sirius sighed, looking around at all of the mess. "I know you know that. You've been very naughty."
Harry frowned, sticking out his lower lip and looking quite ready to cry. He knew he'd been doing naughty things in the bathroom, but he hadn't been able to help himself! The toothpaste just squirted so fun… and the water was fun… and then he'd tried to clean up the floor with the toilet paper… and then he'd knocked over the soap…
Sirius carried Harry downstairs and into the kitchen. He grabbed the little stool they kept under the sink and set it in the corner by the laundry room door. "Now, when little boys are naughty, they get a time out to think about what they've done." Sirius set Harry down on the stool. "You made a big mess in the bathroom on purpose so you will sit here for four minutes, do you understand me?"
Harry nodded, tears filling his eyes. He'd had time outs before, but normally when he got one he'd be locked under the stairs for hours and hours or Uncle Vernon would spank him hard on the bottom instead. His Padfoot had never given him a time out before…
Sirius sighed and got up from his crouch, heading over to sit beside Remus and start eating his dinner while keeping an eye on the clock. Remus looked drowsy and seemed to be half asleep, unnoticing of what was going on. Sirius winced as he heard a little sob come from behind him, but he didn't turn around. No matter how much it broke his heart to do it, Harry needed to learn right from wrong, and in order to do that, he had to be disciplined properly.
Four minutes seemed to last forever to Harry. He was rocking on his stool and still crying by the time they were over and Sirius came back over to him.
"Harry, do you remember why I put you in time out?"
Harry nodded, sniffling through his tears. "Cause I… I messed up da baffroom and I not apposed too." He let out a wail, rubbing at his eyes. This was it! He knew it. He'd been bad and now his Padfoot wouldn't want him anymore.
"That's right, Pronglet." Sirius sighed. "I want you to tell me you're sorry for making the bathroom a mess."
"I… I'm sowwy!" Harry cried harder, rubbing at his eyes now.
Sirius scooped him up, hugging him tightly and kissing his little scarred forehead. "It's alright, Harry. I forgive you. Do you know what forgiveness means?"
Harry sniffled, shaking his head and clinging to Padfoot.
"It means, that when someone says they're sorry, you let them know that it's ok, you aren't mad anymore. Alright? You were naughty, but you're sorry you were naughty, so I forgive you."
Harry nodded, cuddling up to Sirius again. "So… you is not gonna give me away?"
"Harry… you are mine forever and ever and ever. No matter how naughty you are, I will never give you away. I promise." Sirius laughed, hugging him close. "C'mon now then, let's eat dinner and then after we can really get that bathroom nice and clean, okay?"
"Otay." Harry smiled, glad that Padfoot wasn't going to give him away ever. He sat down in his chair and ate his dinner happily, enjoying the apple slices the best. He looked up with a laugh as a tapping came upon the kitchen window. He climbed down out of his chair and pushed the window out, opening it to let the owl in. He had learned that owls meant mail when you were a wizard and he quite enjoyed when they came. "Paddy! We hassa letter!"
"Thank you, Harry!" Sirius smiled and watched as the owl landed on the table in front of him and stuck out it's leg. He untied the letter and the owl flew off almost at once, clearly a professional. He noted Tricia's hand writing on the outside of the scroll and opened it. A piece of paper covered in paper fell out and Sirius handed it to Harry.
"Looks like Luna made you a picture, Harry."
"Ooooh!" Harry beamed, admiring the picture with a great big smile. He quite loved his little Luna sissy. Sometimes, when they were good and Tricia was over, she would let them use her owl to send pictures back and forth across the yard. "Is boooootifuls! Can I puts it on da wall, Paddy?"
"Sure thing, go right ahead!" Sirius smiled. "Remus could you….?"
"On it." Remus rose from where he was half slumped in his chair and followed Harry out into the living room where they had started on surrounding one doorway with the pictures Harry drew or the ones Luna sent him.
Sirius grinned, watching them leave the room and then turned his attention to the letter Tricia had sent him.
Dr. Sirius,
The trial for the Dursleys will be taking place this in one week's time on the 27th of August. Since they are Muggles, they will be tried by their own peers instead of our Ministry, however, I will be acting as a representative for the government. Harry will have to be in attendance to testify against them, though he will be in a separate room except for when he is testifying. I have already begged them to let him testify in a separate room alone in front of the judge and jury, but they had refused to allow it. Dress him nicely and prepare him before hand, let him know what is going to be happening…that the Dursleys will be there, but they won't be able to hurt him… I wish this were different.
Luna and Xeno send their best and we hope to see you sometime soon,
Love, Tricia.
"Shit…" Sirius sighed, dropping the letter onto the table and listening to Harry giggle something about tape being stuck to his face in the next room. How could he let his precious boy… that child who had only just begun really trusting him… into a position like this? How could he ask him to sit in a chair and face the Dursleys while a ton of people looked on? He'd probably be so scared! But, judging from Tricia's letter, there wasn't much way around it.
Sighing, Sirius rose from his seat and peeked into the next room. Harry was admiring all of his pictures and dancing, tilting his head back and forth and holding his arms up at an awkward angle from his sides, opening and closing his hands. He and Remus called it Harry's 'crabby walk', because it was one of the two sole ways Harry danced. That, and jumping up and down while spinning in circles and then giving his hips a wiggle, always amused Sirius to see. Harry danced without music or with it, both of which was kind of impossibly adorable.
"Hey buddy." Sirius laughed, looking around to find that Remus had given up on trying to stay awake and passed out on the couch. "Oooh, looks like Moony is really sleepy. Shhh…"
Harry turned around and looked at Remus before he looked up at Sirius and nodded. He put a finger to his lips, and in that loud whisper that only kids could get away with and think they were still whispering said. "Paddy, Moony needsa take naps too."
"I think you're right." Sirius grinned, bending down to scoop Harry up and giving him a cuddle. He smiled, admiring Harry and Luna's artwork all over the wall. Sometimes he would come in and there would be a new picture he hadn't seen yet and it always make him smile. "Oooh, Harry! Is this your mummy and Lexie?"
"Mhm! And the sock spaghetti." Harry nodded, pointing to the pile of red, yellow, and socks in the corner of the picture. "And dat's doggy chu." Harry pointed to a big black mass standing on a line of green that Sirius took to be grass.
"They're excellent Harry." Sirius beamed with pride and then set Harry down. "It's getting on bedtime though, so what say you we go clean the bathroom and read a story?"
"Awwww, Paddy. Can't I stays ups?"
"Not a chance. And besides, it'll take a little bit to clean that bathroom. You did make a really big mess."
"I sorry, Paddy." Harry frowned, biting his lip and looking down at his feet, looking absolutely sorry about what he had done.
"It's ok, Prongslet. We just have to clean it up is all. Next time, think before you act, alright? It's ok to be messy on purpose sometimes, but it's better if you do it outside or if we're playing a messy game. Like painting or mudpies or shaving cream wars."
"Otay." Harry nodded and hugged onto Sirius's leg tightly. Sirius scooped him up and then carried him upstairs to the ducky bathroom that was still quite impossibly a mess.
It took about half an hour to get the bathroom back to it's original shiny state of cleanliness… without magic that is. Sirius thought it'd be a good idea to show Harry to satisfaction of a job well done by really working the elbow grease instead of just flicking his wand to make everything better. By the time they had finished cleaning the last of the toothpaste off of the toilet, Harry was all yawns and nods.
"Well, lookit this, Harry. The bathroom's all pretty and clean again." Sirius smiled, lifting Harry from the floor. "It's always good to try and clean up the messes we make, and you did a wonderful job. Now then, how about that story?"
"Otay!" Harry cheered, his chest swelling out at the praise he'd received. He'd been bad and made a mess, but his Padfoot seemed really happy now that he'd helped clean it all up. It made him feel good.
Sirius got Harry into his pajamas, tucked in, and read him his story. He would worry about telling Harry about the trial later. Maybe it would be better if he knew only a day or two in advance instead, that way he knew what was going to happen, but wouldn't have a ton of time to panic over it. It pained Sirius to know that the little sleeping boy hugging his lion and looking so…. Innocent… would have to sit in front of a bunch of people he didn't know in a room with a pair of people who had harmed him, and talk about life with those people. Sirius gave Harry a extra big kiss on the forehead and brought the covers up to the little boy's chin.
He was not about to let anyone or anything hurt his little boy.
….
"Alright, so you understand what's going to happen then, right Harry?" Remus asked kindly as he knelt in front of the little boy. Harry nodded, smiling.
"Alright then. Court is in session. The people vs Padfoot, the great and honorable, Judge Luna, presiding." Remus announced as he stood up fully. Luna came jumping and hopping, a great billowing black cape flowing out behind her and a white wig placed on her head, into the living room where they had set up their own little court. Tricia lifted Luna into the high chair that was acting as the judge's platform and put the tray on. Luna lifted up the squeaky hammer sitting on the tray and banged it against the chair.
"Orda in courts, orda in courts!" The hammer squeaked loudly and Harry laughed. "De case of da missin' cookehs is now unda way. How does chu pleads?"
"My client pleads not guilty, your honor." Tricia stated as she sat down next to Sirius on the couch. Harry sat a little ways away from them in a chair.
"Procustion, chu first witness pease." Luna stated simply. Sirius leaned towards Tricia.
"How does she even know these terms?" He asked curiously.
"Too much time at her Grandmother's. That woman is obsessed with court tv."
"I calls… um… Moony, what does I say again?" Harry asked, looking down at his 'evidence' papers.
"You want Padfoot to the stand."
"Padfoot to da stand!" Harry shouted, pointing to Padfoot who rose from his seat to go and sit in a chair next to Luna's high chair. Remus carried a book over to him.
"You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing else but the truth so help you or it will be dish duty for a week?"
"Yes." Sirius nodded and Harry rose from his seat at Remus's wave.
"Paddy, where was you dis morning at breakfast" Harry asked, grinning up at Padfoot happily. He was quite liking this game, though he wasn't sure exactly as to why they were playing it. Tricia had told Sirius it might be a good idea to introduce Harry to the Muggle court system before he had to be a witness against the Dursleys.
"I was in the kitchen."
"And what was you doing in the kitchen, Paddy?" Harry asked curiously.
"I was making breakfast." Sirius answered.
"But, wasn't you eating something, too?" Harry looked over his 'evidence' and held up a picture of Sirius nomming on a cookie.
"Maybe I was, it was breakfast time after all. You're supposed to eat a breakfast."
"But you was eating something that you wasn't supposed to be eating for breakfast." Harry shook a finger at Sirius and hold up the picture. "I has proof."
"where did you get that? Who have you been talking too?" Sirius asked, looking startled that Harry could have a picture of him in his pajamas, eating a cookie. "That could have been from last night, before bed for all you know!"
"But… dere's cookeh crumbses on your jammies, Paddy." Harry held up a baggy containing the cookie crumbs. "But they wasn't in you bed, so you hassa eated the cookeh after you was sleeping. And breakfast is what we eat after we sleeps."
"I… I… ok! Ok! I did it! I ate cookies for breakfast!" Sirius caved, trying not to laugh at the oh so serious look on Harry's face as he shook his head.
"Bad bad bad!" Luna slammer her hammer on the tray. "I sentence chu to… ten minutes time outs!"
"Oooooh." Harry's eyes wend wide. A whole ten minutes of time out! Oh, Paddy was in big big big trouble!
"Alright Padfoot, to the corner, you heard em." Remus stepped forward and too Siriu's arms, leading him away from the chair and into the kitchen where Harry's time out stool was sitting in the corner, ready to be used. Harry had been back to it only once since his last time out. Now Sirius sat down on it, facing the corner and trying not to laugh.
"Next up, the people vs. Honey Von Snuggles, in the case of the missing honey jar."
Sirius sighed, listening as they did another go through, this time accusing a teddy bear of stealing the honey from the kitchen cupboard. He really hoped this game would help Harry… the court date was tomorrow.
Whew, finally another one! Sorry about the lackage guys, internet went down for a bit, but we're back up and running now! Sorry for the lame chapter, I'm hoping the next one will turn out better than this one has. Anyway, keep reading and let me know what you think or throw and idea out there of what could happen next. I really appreciate every comment or suggestion.
Later alligators,
Love always,
S.Q.O.